With owned media, you have control over your message, your audience, and your communication channels. But just owning media is not enough. You need to excel at it to stand out in today's crowded digital landscape.

So, how can you excel at owned media? In this post, we'll give you some practical tips and examples to help you get the most out of your owned media channels.

What is owned media?

Before we dive into the tips, let's clarify what owned media means. Owned media refers to any media channel that your brand or business owns and controls. It includes your website, blog, email list, social media profiles, and any other digital assets that you have created.

The benefits of owned media are numerous. First, it allows you to create a consistent brand message across all your channels. Second, it gives you control over your audience and communication channels, so you're not at the mercy of third-party platforms. And third, it can be more cost-effective than paid media, especially in the long run.

But to reap the benefits of owned media, you need to excel at it. Here are some tips to help you do just that:

Define your brand voice and messaging

Before you start creating content for your owned media channels, you need to define your brand voice and messaging. Your brand voice is the personality and tone you use to communicate with your audience. It should reflect your brand's values, mission, and personality.

Your messaging, on the other hand, is the specific message you want to communicate to your audience. It should be clear, concise, and consistent across all your channels.

One brand that excels at defining its brand voice and messaging is Mailchimp. The email marketing company has a playful, whimsical brand voice that is reflected in all its owned media channels. Its messaging is also clear and concise, with a focus on making email marketing easy and fun for its customers.

To implement this tip, take some time to define your brand voice and messaging. Write down your brand's values, mission, and personality, and use that to guide your communication across all your channels.

Create valuable content

Creating valuable content is key to excelling at owned media. Your content should be informative, entertaining, or both. It should also be relevant to your audience and aligned with your brand's values and mission.

One brand that excels at creating valuable content is HubSpot. The inbound marketing company has a wealth of resources on its website, from blog posts to webinars to free courses. All its content is focused on helping its audience learn and improve their marketing skills.

To implement this tip, think about what type of content would be valuable to your audience. Do some research on what topics your audience is interested in, and create content that addresses their needs and pain points.

Optimize your website

Your website is one of your most important owned media channels, so it's essential to optimize it for maximum impact. A well-optimized website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and is optimized for search engines.

One brand that excels at website optimization is Moz. The SEO software company has a clean, user-friendly website that loads quickly and is optimized for search engines. It also has a wealth of valuable content, including blog posts, videos, and webinars, that keeps its audience engaged and coming back for more.

To implement this tip, make sure your website is easy to navigate and loads quickly. Use keywords and meta descriptions to optimize your site for search engines, and create valuable content that keeps your audience engaged.

Engage with your audience

Engaging with your audience is crucial to excelling at owned media. You want to create a two-way conversation with your audience, not just talk at them. Engaging with your audience can help build trust and loyalty, and can also provide valuable feedback on your brand and products.

One brand that excels at engaging with its audience is Wendy's. The fast-food chain is known for its witty, sarcastic Twitter account, which engages with its audience in a humorous and relatable way. Wendy's also responds to customer feedback and complaints in a timely and helpful manner, which helps build trust and loyalty with its audience.

To implement this tip, make sure to respond to comments and messages on your owned media channels. Use social listening tools to monitor what people are saying about your brand, and respond to both positive and negative feedback in a timely and helpful manner.

Use data to inform your strategy

Finally, to excel at owned media, you need to use data to inform your strategy. Data can provide valuable insights into your audience's behavior and preferences, which can help you create more targeted and effective content.

One brand that excels at using data to inform its strategy is Netflix. The streaming giant uses data to recommend personalized content to its audience, and also uses data to inform its content creation strategy. For example, Netflix used data to identify that its audience enjoys shows with strong female leads, which led to the creation of popular shows like "Jessica Jones" and "The Crown."

To implement this tip, use data analytics tools to track your owned media channels' performance. Look for patterns in your audience's behavior and preferences, and use that to inform your content creation and engagement strategies.

Owning your media is crucial for your brand's success, but to excel at it, you need to follow best practices and continuously improve your strategy. By defining your brand voice and messaging, creating valuable content, optimizing your website, engaging with your audience, and using data to inform your strategy, you can take your owned media channels to the next level.

Remember, owned media is an investment in your brand's future, so don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. With persistence and dedication, you can build a strong owned media strategy that sets your brand apart and drives long-term success.